Thursday, 27 December 2012

Understanding a true meaning of love and peace is the beginning of wisdom and unity with the great spirit of the Universe.

The closing of each year is a time of celebration and reflection. We
count our blessings, remember our losses, and look forward to the
wondrous mysteries of what is to come. For me, 2012 was a remarkable
time. I have seen and taken part in so much for which I am thankful
beyond words. The past 12 months have led to my sculptural experience, Love & Peace,
taking root and blooming internationally. I feel connected to the world
in ways I had only imagined possible before and I know that 2013 will
bring even greater surprises to us all.

When I think back upon 2012, I am awed by our progress. When
injustice was found and the oppressed were silenced, so many hands and
voices reached out in support of righteousness.

I believe there have been precious few times like these when so many
opportunities for empowerment have been within the grasp of women and
the young. Those courageous individuals who made a stand and pursed
those opportunities have provided me with unending inspiration.

Figures such as Malala Yousafzai, whose brave fight for the rights of
girls to an education in Pakistan lead to her also fighting for her own
life after being struck down by an assassin's bullet. Malala's
miraculous and blessed recovery and the way the world rallied to her
support forced us all to pay attention to her cause; to discuss the
issues she had raised and begin to think about a better, fairer and more
just future.

Somaly Mam, grew up in poverty in Cambodia. Her journey from lost
innocence became an inspiration to millions. Somaly and her Foundation
are tireless in their struggle to highlight the plight of innocent women
and children sold in to sex slavery.

Aung San Suu Kyi has stood up against the dictators in Myanmar from
the confines of house arrest for most of her political life. In 2010 the
rulers of her country finally caved in under the weight of global
pressure and she was freed. This year she became part of the new
democratic process and took her seat in Myanmar's Parliament. This long
and hard fought for change is greatly due to Aung San Suu Kyi's status
as a symbol of freedom and her ever presence in global conversations.

The tireless determination of these women and so many others burns
brightly in our eyes, bringing us closer to the reality of global peace.

The year also brought with it immense tragedy. From escalating
violence in the Middle East to the horrors committed against the truly
innocent in Chengping, China and Sandy Hook, Connecticut, our will to
persevere was tested again and again. Moments of despair like these
leave us wondering how we will be able to recover, how will we ever
piece life back together from the shards and scraps. I truly believe
that the surest route to healing is through conversation. When we share
our hurt, it begins to be released from us--the open ear of a friend is
another shoulder to carry even the heaviest burden. Love & Peace
has been created to open lines of communication between all people,
offering places of solace and community across the globe. I hope so
strongly that comfort may be found through my sculptures, and that they
are received as tributes to resilience.

As we retire old calendars and prepare for a fresh start, I wish for
so much: May our spirits be cleansed and our hearts open to a universe
of positive change. May we treat every being with compassion and
respect, as all creation possesses within it a spark of the Divine; may
our souls link to strengthen us in the face of struggle. Let us make
each new day a celebration of our miraculous lives--and let us make 2013
the Year of Love & Peace!

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

I have created Love & Peace
with a special destiny. I am placing large and beautiful flower
sculptures across the world in places where millions of people will see
them. The first three have already appeared overnight in London,
Shezhen, and New York. To me, these blooms are all part of one whole -
one sculpture which spreads its stems and petals across the world. I
see my flowerings as listening posts - beacons to encourage people to
communicate. This is where social media comes in.

In the new year a special app will make my sculptures visible to
anyone with an iPad, Android device, or smart phone. A video camera,
placed beside each of the flowers, will make a global gathering of those
visiting the sculpture. The thought of bringing so many people
together in a shared place of love through the power of art fills me
with excitement, and it would not exist without the innovation of social
media.

Art has always been the centerpiece of culture. The watchful eye. Art expands imagination and imagination expands knowledge.

Each day brings fantastic new creations born of ingenuity and
passion. Our entire history and all of its triumphs is always within
our reach. Technology has made human existence a book with infinite
pages, a museum whose doors never close. It opens both the generation
of artists and those to come to unimaginable opportunity, and I know
that they will use it well.

In order to thrive, I believe that art requires collaboration,
conversation, and connection. This is how the artist's work transcends
to become something far greater- a living force capable of leaving its
fingerprints on the world and making it more beautiful. Modern
technology provides artists with a direct channel to each of these
needs, making creator and viewer equal participants in the experience.
The horizon is bright, and I am delighted to see where art will be taken
next.

My flowers of Love & Peace
will bloom around the world, traveling as bearers of light and harmony.
I want to share this gift of my heart and hope that others will be
moved to share it, too! And through the wonders of our technology, this
dream will soon become real.

Monday, 10 December 2012

I believe Art is where the Divine and The Human meet. It is
the embodiment of the human spirit.

Oscar Niemeyer – the wonderful Brazilian architect who has
died at the age of 104 – knew this and practiced what he preached with
something as near to perfection as any human being can get.

I have been a fan of Niemeyer’s work for half a century. He
was not a man known for straight lines and rigid rules. His creations, which
adorn cities around the globe are full of life – literally and metaphorically.
He believed in the curve. From the harsh materials of concrete and metal he
crafted beautiful flowing lines. His buildings lift the spirit whilst still
being functional and efficient; they are full of narrative.

In a famous interview Oscar said: "I am not attracted
to straight angles or to the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by
man. I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual curves. The curves that I find in
the mountains of my country, in the sinuousness of its rivers, in the waves of
the ocean, and on the body of the beloved woman. Curves make up the entire
universe, the curved universe of Einstein."

What a wonderful way to look at life and art. Similar
thinking lies behind my latest and most ambitious artistic exploration: Love& Peace. I owe Oscar a debt of gratitude… as do many
more artists who have been moved by his work.

Oscar Niemeyer’s passing has focused my thoughts on my own
work; my own need to create paintings and sculptures.

Throughout the ages, so many of us have looked to art to
express our beliefs and explore the ‘big questions’ in the hope of finding
answers.

Art has always told the stories of the human spirit. Beyond
all differences, it is a universal truth that art reveals the invisible soul of
the artist and makes our purest voice physical – it becomes the manifestation
of our true self. We learn more and more about ourselves as we continue to
create, which is why art is so much more than a pastime—it is a faithful companion
for life! Without art and spirituality, I would not know myself. As I mould and
shape my work, it shapes me.

To create is to give praise for all our blessings and try
our best to make great use of them. It is an act of giving from the deepest
part of one’s being. In my life, creation and spirituality are inseparable
sisters. I cannot see one without the other! My soul is in my art, and my art
is in my soul. Even the practice of art mirrors that of faith and reflection.
It demands attention, endurance, and a particular meditation, leaving the
spirit cleansed.

Every day I paint. Every day I pray. These are things that
continually ground and center me. They are my joy, my grace, my gratefulness
and my heart. I wish to share this joy with all, and from this desire, “Love
and Peace” was born. It is a sculpture I give to the world with the hope that
it will bring jubilation and serenity to every soul it touches. I feel Oscar
would have approved.

Monday, 3 December 2012

Art connects us wordlessly to the whole world, and I feel blessed
though the gift of my art. This gift has given me the ability to see the
world through the eyes of strangers.

It is this understanding I have reached down through the years and
miles of travel which has inspired my latest and I believe most
important artistic exploration: Love & Peace.

I have watched and taken part in traditions across the globe, from
those found in the bustle of bright cities to ancient rituals in quiet
villages at the edges of maps. Each experience leaves me so grateful,
filling me with inspiration and breathing the magic of life into my
paintings and sculptures.

By striving to capture these feelings, scenes, and traditions in my
work, I am praising the fantastic diversity of cultures that colour our
planet.

Through years and miles of travel, I have discovered that the most
important aspects of civilisation--the things that define our human
existence--transcend borders. The traditional values we hold in places
of honor, like 'family', 'home', 'community', 'peace', and 'love', can
be found thriving among all people, from the mountains of Japan to the
savannahs of Africa.

I am lucky to have so many unique homes in my history, so many people
from varied walks of life to call my family and friends. I live my life
with open eyes and an open heart because I wish to celebrate what I
have seen and share it with others through my art.

But without each of its strings, we cannot know the beautiful potential
for harmony contained within a violin; without all of its notes, a
melody will not rise and move our hearts. In my own work, I know that
each daub or stroke of paint is a necessary piece of the whole. This,
too, is how I see the world: life is a vibrant, shining thing woven out
of so many colored threads, dyed by the differences and details that
make each culture so captivating.

It is the inherent nature of people--being both so unique and so familiar--that helped bring Love & Peace to life across the globe.

In it, I seek to speak to the precious worth of all in the language
of wonder, beyond words. If we are to see a future in which our dreams
of love and peace prevail, we must embrace all of the world's shades and
hues, for their splendor can only be truly appreciated together, as
miraculous parts of the big picture.

I have been painting full time for 25 years.

A true ‘citizen of the world,’ Ana Tzarev’s work is edified by decades of
extensive travel. She has taken residence in bustling Asian cities,
remote African villages, and the pristine landscapes of Australia,
immersing herself in cultures and customs to translate them onto canvas.
Her paintings are borne of that same lineage that produced the
sketchbooks of great explorers—logs kept to chart unknown realms
and share the wonders they possessed. Art critic Edward Lucie-Smith
describes her relationship with her work: “Ana Tzarev is a dynamic and
visionary painter because she has a constant desire to get it all down,
to recreate what she encounters in her own visual language.”

Tzarev’s artistic sensibilities have been honed by the histories of
those she encounters: through studies of the linear, organic qualities
that comprise Japanese woodcuts and the bold and distinctive textures of
the Masai textiles, she has developed an undeniably unique style. With exuberant, frenetic swathes of paint, the artist creates
pieces that function equally as documentary of tradition and the
capturing of ephemeral, universal moments; Tzarev’s joyful approach to
art enables her to encapsulate the emotions that preserve them, exuding
the very essence of life that makes these subjects so compelling.
Renowned art critic Dr. Alexander Borovsky eloquently describes her
style: “Ana Tzarev has learned how to ‘capture’ the depictive motif very
quickly. She has developed a powerful gestural style with an energy not
unlike that of the post-impressionist era: an open color, a
three-dimensional brush stroke—or rather, a fiery haze of strokes
drifting optically in space; a triumph of the de-reflective approach,
driven towards capturing and mastering nature’s signals.”

The
appeal of Ana Tzarev’s vibrant and expressive work is apparent in the
breadth of exhibitions that have showcased her art worldwide. Her
paintings have been featured in galleries, museums, and public spaces
across Europe and Asia, including the State Russian Museum in St.
Petersburg, the Gildo Pastor Centre in Monaco, the Santralistanbul
Museum of Contemporary Art in Istanbul, Cite Internationale des Arts in
Paris, the Saatchi Gallery in London, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, and
the Museo Diocesano di Venezia Sant’ Apollonia in Venice.

2013
is slated to be a significant year for Ms. Tzarev and her art. In
January, her works premiered at the National Museum of Rome in an
exhibition entitled “The Life of Flowers”, curated by famed art
historian Marco Tonelli. A large collection of works from the artist’s
Exposed series was also selected for inclusion in Venice’s 55th
Biennale. In 2014, she is poised to debut her paintings in China at
Beijing’s Today Art Museum.

The motivating force behind Ana
Tzarev’s work is the notion that art can be utilized as a powerful tool
for progress. From 2011 to 2013, she has shown her support for youth
arts through From Ana Tzarev, With Love, a joint workshop-exhibition
encouraging creative collaboration between children in Istanbul, London,
Paris, and New York. In 2012, she premiered an ongoing global
sculptural exploration, entitled Love & Peace, which has garnered
worldwide attention and acclaim. Conceived as a conduit for conversation
among all people, the massive floral sculptures of Love & Peace
have been installed in London, Shenzhen, and New York, with plans to
place more of these flowers in cities across the world. Tzarev wishes to
foster feelings of unity and the bond of one community through art, in
all the diverse ethnic groups that comprise the Earth.